Arbitration court's ruling against China's sovereignty exception

CHINA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY on Friday dismissed a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration based in The Hague, the Netherlands, which said it has jurisdiction over island disputes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. Comments:

It is appalling that The Hague-based tribunal made such a claim in the case unilaterally brought by the Philippines concerning islands in the South China Sea, disregarding all objective voices. This ruling may deal a major blow to the trust within the international community, and will not help Beijing and Manila solve their territorial dispute. What is behind the latest jurisdiction is that Manila has deliberately made a far-fetched connection between sovereignty and maritime issues, and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, posing a grave challenge to international law.

Jia Yu, deputy director of the China Institute for Marine Affairs attached to the State Oceanic Administration, Oct 31